


Crossing Worlds: A Multi-Universe Adventure

by Wizzy



Category: Fable 3 (Video Game)
Genre: Multi Universe, Zero to Hero
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-30
Updated: 2015-09-30
Packaged: 2018-04-24 03:55:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4904638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wizzy/pseuds/Wizzy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kate is a bit of an outcast. But when she's pulled into the world of one of her favorite video games, she goes from zero to hero almost overnight. But just how can she live her own life when she doesn't know which world she'll be in tomorrow. Can she keep her abilities a secret from her own world, or will it all destroy her?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Unexpected Visitors

“Stay away from my little sister.” In any other situation, with any other person than me, those words would have an entirely different meaning. Here they were from someone who hated me. Funny thing was, he didn't have any reason to be angry with me.

Even crazier was the fact that we had once been really close friends, so close that we'd had deeper feelings than friendship. At the time it would never have worked out because he was in a completely different country. Now here we were, going to the same school, living in the same neighborhood. You'd think we'd have been happy about it.

Nope. All thanks to one incident that completely destroyed our friendship. Now I could go deep into detail about the whole situation, but I'd rather not remember it at all. So, basically he had a girlfriend at the time, didn't bother to tell me and flirted with me a lot more than was appropriate. As soon as I'd found out about it, I had a talk with him about it. That talk, however, quickly spiraled into an argument.

Needless to say, he hated me for the whole situation. Since then the only conversations we ever had were just arguments in his language. I was the only in the school who could speak it, besides him and his sister.

His sister, Helena, wasn't very good with English, therefore I was the one who had to help her learn. This irritated her brother. He was even the one who taught me in the beginning and I'd simply carried on learning on my own.

Today was no different than any other. Argument with my former friend and then a study session with Helena.

Unfortunately, Helena had happened to have heard today's argument. In an attempt to end it before either of us said something too bad, I walked away. As I did, he mumbled one last thing that I didn't hear.

I stopped when I reached one of the tables outside. It was almost summer and no one was around. Times like this were the ones I loved most. I could be alone with my thoughts.

I was soon interrupted by Helena's voice. “He should not have said those things to you.”

I ignored it and proceed with today's practice. I'd give her a word and then she'd repeat it back to me in English.

When today's session was almost over, Helena brought up the argument again. “Why does he hate you so much? You're great.”

“Friends sometimes grow apart,” I said, not wanting to tell her the truth. “I guess we just grew too far apart.”

“His loss then.” What she did next was unexpected, but very comforting. She hugged me.

“What a delightfully adorable sight, don't you think Barry?” a voice said from behind us. Something about it seemed familiar, though the only people who I knew who knew a man named Barry were fictional.

The man's companion's voice was equally familiar. “Such a shame to bweak it up.”


	2. It's All In Your Head

Turning towards our intruders, I motioned for her to stay behind me. “Who are you and what do you want?” I demanded, trying to sound stronger and scarier than I was. I didn't think it'd work, and I hated that I was right.

Regardless, he answered at least one question. “We're looking for someone,” the first one said. I looked him over and noticed his clothes were identical to that of the fictional character known as Reaver. He couldn't possibly be him, so I figured he was just an extreme fan. “A young girl, whose name we don't know. I believe she might be that one standing behind you.”

“'course we don' know what she looks like either,” the other added. He looked like Barry Hatch, a man from the same world as Reaver. Of course a man who dressed, talked, and acted like Reaver would have a friend who looked, acted and talked like Reaver's servant. His clothing wasn't like his though. He was dressed in more normal clothes, a black t-shirt and jeans.

“When I tell you to, run,” I whispered to Helena. If it was her they were after, I could at least buy her enough time to get somewhere safe. “Whatever you do, don't come back for me.”

“Well,” the Reaver look-alike said. “Are you going to cooperate or do we have to make this a hassle?”

No way was I going to give up without a fight. Helena was a few years younger than me and I was pretty young myself. With this guy being so much like Reaver, I wouldn't put it past him to force himself on a helpless little girl like her. Sure, she was fifteen, but that was still really young. I was at least almost eighteen. I at least had a chance, even if it was so small of a chance it was practically microscopic.

When I didn't move or respond, he decided to use force. “Barry, get her.”

When he was close enough, I signaled for Helena to run and threw myself between her and the Barry Hatch look-alike, preventing him from getting to her.

The Reaver look-alike did nothing. He stood there and watched me tangle with his companion.

Our scuffle forced us to fall to the ground, my opponent fighting to pin me down and me struggling to get free of him. Being a girl and smaller than him, I was obviously losing.

My wrists were pinned to the ground and his knees were on each side of me. It didn't take me long to realized that my legs were still pretty free and he had left one area of himself unguarded. I hated to have to do it, but I was in a desperate situation. It was my only move available and he realized his mistake just a little too late.

He wasn't about to get up anytime soon. I wasn't free long. Soon I was grabbed from behind.

“It appears that I may have been mistaken,” he said to me. He held me so tightly that I could hardly move. “The blind seer said when the one with the power to send us back would have an aura of a Hero around her, though her identity would be unclear until alone. You definitely have the fighting spirit.”

 _He's a psychopath._  I had to get away. My legs were the most free, though I couldn't escape the way I had with Barry. Suddenly, an idea hit me. I stomped on his foot as hard as I possibly could, making him loosen his grip just enough for me to quickly jab my elbow into his stomach. It was just enough for me to break free of him and run. I didn't get very far because I tripped, twisting my ankle as I fell. When I looked to see why, I saw a man's body laying on the ground.

I looked at the new man, his face was familiar, for the same reasons as the other two. Like “Barry,” he wore a t-shirt and jeans. His face was identical to that of King Logan, another from the same made-up world as the other two.

 _I've finally done it. I'm insane._  He hadn't been there when “Reaver” showed up. “Logan” seemed to be unconscious, but I soon brought him back.

“Where am I?” The voice was the same, just like it was for the other two. I couldn't take this anymore. Either someone was playing a horribly sick joke on me or I really had gone insane.

“Who the hell are you people?” I panicked. “You can't be Reaver! And you're not Barry Hatch! You can't be Logan! They- they don't exist!” Ok, panicking was way too small of a word to describe it. “I've lost my mind. They're probably not even really here. It's all in your head. It's all in your head.”

“It's not in your head.” Great. A fourth voice. “They are really there. And we do exist. Well, maybe not in your world. We didn't exactly choose to come here.”


	3. Blood Will Open The Path

“Let me guess,” I started. “Ben Finn? Or as you'd probably say it, the 'handsome devil known as Ben Finn'.” I'd played Fable so much that I'd had just about every detail memorized. Well, not Bowerstone Industrial. I always ended up getting lost there.

“How do you know that? You're not even looking at me.” His surprise amused me.

“So who's next? Sir Walter Beck? The Auroran leader Kalin? The rebel leader Page? Or the Crawler?” I said, mostly sarcastically.

“You don't believe we're real, do you?” “Logan” asked.

“You're all people from a  _game._ ” Believing this would be insane. They couldn't really be  _them_ , could they? Sure, part of me wished they were, but what would I do if they were? “I know a lot about all of you. More than I should.”

“What's it gonna take for you to believe us?” Ben said.

“And send us back,” Barry added.

“Send you back?” For the first time, I was starting to believe that they were the real thing.

“Why do you think I didn't shoot you even after the way you fought to get away from us?” Reaver had a good point. Had I been anyone else and in his world, I'd have been dead immediately.

“You're real...” I was shaking and I fell to the ground. “How...”

“Theresa said that the one who can free us from this new world would save Albion from a creature as powerful as the Crawler,” Logan explained.

“She said when our Hero was close, we would feel it,” Ben continued, helping me to stand back up.

“She will fight even when it seems hopeless and defend the weak at all costs,” Barry repeated another part of the instruction.

“Those pulled to the strange land are the ones chosen to save our world.” The way Reaver said it made it sound like a line out of a movie.

“Blood will open the path between worlds for the chosen heroes.” A new voice. Kalin.

“The Hero will know when the time comes,” I finished, though I didn't know how I knew it. “I guess that means we're the chosen ones.”

“Kate!” I turned and saw Helena running towards us, with her brother behind her. “Are you OK?”

She stopped when she saw Barry and Reaver standing there with me and the others.

“Helena stay away from them!” her brother said, realizing they'd been the ones who'd attacked us earlier. “Helena said you were attacked.” I found it strange that he'd come to help me, but I soon realized he was more likely here to beat up the two who I'd protected Helena from.

“I told you not to come back,” I said to her. “What if they had intended to hurt me instead of just asking for my help? It was just a big misunderstanding.”

This set her brother off and sparked another argument. To keep it more private, we kept the argument in his language, rather than English.

“So they ask for your help and you just throw yourself at them?”

“It is nothing like that!”

“They attacked you and now you're acting all friendly to them.”

“It was a misunderstanding.”

“Sure it was.”

Like always, the argument kept going on and on until I had to end it.

“Go home Kaleb. You too Helena.” I had more than enough to deal with already with my visitors, I wasn't about to deal with them too.

Once they left,

“Well, that was-”

“Shut up Ben.”

Maybe I'd said it a lot more harshly than I'd intended, but when I got irritated, I often said things I didn't really mean. It was effective in shutting him up, as well as everyone else..

No one else said anything, not even Reaver. Despite being small and for most part harmless, I could be pretty scary when I was angry. The fact that I'd just been arguing with a guy twice my size probably didn't help matters.

“Sorry,” I said to them after a few minutes of silence. “I can't be anywhere near him anymore without him starting a fight. But it wasn't always like that.”

“Well, who can blame you for getting upset at a former lover,” Reaver said, assuming a lot more than what was true. It was no surprise that Reaver put him arm around my shoulder.

I knew Reaver too well and wasn't about to fall for any fake charm he attempted to use. I dug my thumb into the soft underside of his wrist, right between the bones. It was I always did to myself when my emotions started to get out of control and my mind started to slip. So basically I knew it hurt, and it hurt a ton if enough pressure was used. “Reaver,” I said in a calm, disapproving tone. “Do not act like something you are not. I know more about you than you'd want any of the others to know. I won't fall for any little tricks you try to pull.”

He removed his arm and took a few steps back. As he did, Logan stepped forward.

“We have more important things to deal with than your social life.” He had very good point. How were they going to get back? And how was I involved in this?

“I don't-” My thought was interrupted by another.

_Blood will open the path between worlds for the chosen heroes. The Hero will know when the time comes._

“Hey, whatever your name is, you ok?”

“We're all there is, right?” I asked, completely ignoring whoever had spoken. “Then all I need to do is figure out what it is I have to do to help you. All I know is that it has something to do with blood. That's what Theresa said.”

We sat there on the ground for what seemed like hours, going over what we already knew and trying to come up with a plan. Soon it started to rain. The others didn't seem to like it, but I loved it. Something about how the rain felt on my skin had always had a calming effect on me. It couldn't have come at a better time.

“I love the rain,” I mumbled to myself. “The way it feels is amazing. I love water.”

Then it finally hit me. “Reaver, a Hero's blood is supposed to be special, right?” I'd asked him solely because of the fact he was a Hero. Well, he may not be considered one now, but technically he still had Hero's blood, therefore he was one.

“Your point is?”

“Theresa said you'd find a Hero, but what if that Hero's blood was special in a completely different way than that of your Heroes?”

_Blood will open the path between worlds._

“So you're thinking that your blood will send us back?” It sounded crazy when Kalin said it, but was there really any other way to do it? I didn't hear anyone else saying any ideas.

“It acts like a key,” I mumbled to myself, trying to think the whole thing through. “But I choose the door.” I thought a bit more before speaking out loud again. “There must be some sort of words, like when you cast a spell from the Norminomican.”

“That  _is_  insane,” Ben laughed.

“Not as insane as you guys suddenly appearing here.”

“You're not actually going to try that, are you?” Ben stopped laughing when he'd realized I actually believed it'd work.

“ _The Hero will know when the time comes_. We have to trust her on this.” I could always count on Logan being the more logical one of the men.

“Let's get started then.”


	4. Monorail Deathtrap

Reaver, Barry, Logan, Ben and Kalin stood together, leaving only a little space between them. I stood off to the side, preparing myself for what was to be done.

_Blood will open the path between worlds._

I cut open my arm, just deep enough to bleed, but not enough to cause any real damage.

_The blood encircles. Those that are not of this world, send back to the place from where they came. Send back to the domain where they are required._

As I spoke, the blood from my arm created a glowing circle around them and then started to shift up into a dome around them. Before it closed completely around them, a hand reached out and pulled me into the dome. The hand held onto me, and I soon felt myself falling. The fall was broken by water. The hand let go the moment we hit the water. Immediately I clung to a nearby rock. As much as I love the water, I couldn't swim. I'd tried many times to learn, but I always sank.

I could finally see who'd pulled me in. Barry. He was just floating the in the water, looking around us. Soon I saw the others, all on the shore and dry. Apparently Barry and I had been the unlucky ones who'd been dropped in the middle of a lake.

“Mistpeak.” I couldn't believe what I was seeing. “It can't be...”

“You two gonna stay there all day?” I heard Ben calling to us. After a moment Barry swam to the shore, leaving me there alone. “Hey kid! Let's get going!”

“Yeah not gonna happen.”

“What's the matter? Afraid of a little water?”

When I didn't say anything, Ben spoke again. “Any volunteers to go out and get her? No? Fine. I'm probably the best swimmer anyway.”

Ben swam out and helped me to get to the shore.

“Didn't you say you liked the water?” Logan asked. I'd forgotten I'd mentioned it when it had started raining before.

“I do believe she did.” I wanted to punch Reaver the second he said it.

“I think she's afwaid of it.”

The more they went on and the more that others joined in, the more it reminded me of how things had been once back home. For years I'd been constantly picked on by people I had once thought were my friends. With the memories that returned came feelings I'd felt then. All the cold, crushing feelings of being alone, of being unwanted. I'd been treated as if I were some sort of freak.

In an attempt to keep from letting it get to me, I headed along the path towards the monorail station.

“What's up with that, kid?”

“My name is Kate. Don't call me kid.” As much as I tried to resist, they were getting to me and my voice was starting to show it.

“So what's up with the whole water thing?”

They all kept pushing and pushing until something inside snapped.

“I can't swim, ok?” I was half yelling. At this point we were just outside the monorail station. “I tried to learn to and almost drowned because of it. Do I love the water? Yes. Do I hate the fact that I  _can't_  swim? Yes. Are you happy now?”

I didn't wait for them to say anything before heading into the station. I had no intention of getting into the monorail car though. I was going to walk along the lower area to Mourningwood. The fort there was always one of my favorite places.

Once I was inside, I headed straight for the gate that blocked the way to the elevator to the lower level. I'd climbed a lot of trees back home, so it wasn't hard for me to get around it. The others were much more wary of the whole idea.

“How did you get over there?” Logan asked as he and the others approached the gate.

“Climbed over. You gonna come with me or take the monorail car and just meet me in industrial? I'm not about to get in that deathtrap.”

“I'll stick with you,” Ben told me. Walter must have mentioned the monorail crash to him once before. “Someone's gotta keep an eye out for you. Besides, we don't want you getting lost.” Ben climbed up and over the gate, but started to fall over the side. Luckily, I managed to grab him before he could fall. Soon the others followed except for Kalin. She went on ahead in the monorail car to let the queen know what happened before we got there. Personally, I thought she was crazy for wanting to get in that thing.  
 

We walked through the cave until all of us were getting tired. Well, mainly just me and Ben. In a clearing we all sat down to rest.

Based on how long we'd been walking, I figured it was pretty late. My clothes were still wet from the lake, and I guessed Barry's and Ben's were too. A small fire was built and all of us surrounded it. Barry removed his wet clothes and laid them near the fire.

“Someone's not very shy,” I mumbled to myself as I leaned against Ben. He only bothered to remove his shirt, probably because that was really the only thing still wet. For the most part, I avoided looking at Barry, even if the only reason was that it kept reminding me of a mistake I'd almost made once.

“He just doesn't care what any of us think.”

“Why should he? You're all men.”

“You seem to care,” Ben pointed out. “And you're no man. Well, I hope you're not.”

“He just reminds me of something that happened, well more like almost happened a long time ago,” I explained. Honestly, I didn't care one bit about Barry not wearing clothes. “If it would have happened, I know I would have regretted it.”

“If I didn't know any better, I'd say you slept with a complete stranger.”

“You're not that far off.” When he gave me a shocked look, I added, “I'm not as innocent as I look.”

“So what happened?”

“I thought I knew him better than I did. Thought he was my friend, almost slept with him. A couple weeks later he leaves and doesn't bother to even say anything to me.”

“You really have the worst luck, don't you?”

“Complete opposite of  Private Jammy,” I joked. “You know, I've always wanted to meet him.”

“Well, don't be too disappointed. He-”

“I know,” I said, cutting him off before he could finish speaking. “The hollow man attack when Walter asked Swift and his soldiers to join the rebellion.”

“How do you know about that?”

“I did say I knew a lot about you guys,” I reminded him.

I didn't get to hear his response; I was already asleep, using Ben as my pillow.

 

I woke up a few hours later. Everyone else was fast asleep and looking very peaceful. Ben was still next to me and Barry was still unclothed and leaning back against a large boulder. I couldn't seem to fall back asleep, so I walked around a bit, hoping to tire myself out. Instead, I found myself kneeling on the ground where the dirt was very loose. Drawing was something I'd enjoyed back home, though I'd never been very good when it came to drawing people. Looking back an forth between the ground and my comrades, I proceeded to use my finger as a pencil and the loose dirt as my paper.

 

I must have fallen asleep while I was drawing because the next thing I knew I was being woke up by the former king of Albion, Logan. Apparently I'd managed to finish it, because everyone was staring.

“I couldn't sleep,” I mumbled, wiping the dirt off of my arms and face. “I wanted to make sure I'd remember this little adventure.” I answered the question that I was sure was on all their minds before they'd even had a chance to ask. “I just drew what I saw.”

“It's... us,” Ben seemed confused, though none of us really knew why. Barry seemed to like the way he turned out. As for Reaver and Logan, you really couldn't tell how they felt.

“So,” I started, attempting to take their minds off the drawing. “Shall we get going? We've got a ways to go.”


	5. Games With Barry

We didn't stop again until we reached the small circle of houses that was Mourningwood. The main reason for stopping was for me to rest a bit. My body was not used to nearly this much activity over such a small amount of time. Barry stuck with me while the others wandered around a bit.

“I'm sorry,” I said suddenly.

“What?”

“For many things. I'm sorry that you got stuck keeping an eye on me for the others. And dropping us in the lake. And for what I did when we first met.”

 “Don't be sowwy love,” he said in that funny voice of his. “Can't say I blame ya. Ya didn' know what I was gonn' do.”

“I don't normally resort to stuff like that, but I didn't have any other option.” As soon as I said it one other plan came to mind. “Well, I could have found a less painful way to distract you and have broken free that way, but I doubt it would have worked.”

Things were quiet awhile before I spoke again. “Wanna play a game?”

“Game?”

“We each guess what each of our comrades are doing and whoever's guess is closest, wins.” A smile spread across my face as I thought of a way to make it interesting. “We could even make a bet on it. Doesn't have to be money. It could be something the other has to do. Like if I won, I could make you do something and the other way around.”

“Deal. Start with Master Weaver?”

“He's probably trying to fool around with some poor, unsuspecting young girl,” I guessed.

“You took mine,” he laughed. “Guess I gotta say drinking.”

“Ok, how about Ben?”

“Irritating some poor fellow.”

“Shooting at something.”

“Logan?”

“Probably trying to get information about this creature that Theresa mentioned,” I said, the seriousness of the whole situation coming back.

“No other guess could follow that.”

Silence followed Barry's statement.

“Kate,” I said meaning to continue the game.

“What?”

“Our game,” I said calmly, and probably a bit more flirty than I'd intended. “What am I thinking? Instead of doing, since you already know what I'm doing. I'll let you have three guesses.”

“You're thinking of a person?”

“Kinda. It's something about a person.”

“You have feelings for Ben.”

It was a very abrupt statement. “What?” I was as shocked as I was when I'd found out about Kaleb's girlfriend. That itself had been a very nasty shock to me. “Where did you get an idea like THAT?”

“You were pwetty cozy with him in the cave.”

“Sorry to disappoint you, but I can't feel like that about anyone. Not anymore.” I couldn't help but think back to all the men who'd been in my life. Every time, I screwed something up or he'd never really cared much about me in the first place. In an attempt to stop myself from thinking about it anymore, I asked Barry to make his last guess.

“Something terrible?” he asked.

“Well, I am now,” I said. “But that's not what I was thinking. I was thinking about your eyes.”

When he gave me a puzzled look, I explained it in more detail.

“They're very lovely, the way they're different colors. I was thinking about how they were always one of my favorite things about you, but no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to draw them. I remember one time I got so frustrated that I just collapsed on my sketchbook.”

Ok, so I probably sounded crazy, but this whole adventure was a million times crazier.

Before either of us spoke again, Logan returned carrying a book with him. He handed the book to me. “No more drawing in the dirt,” he said somewhat emotionlessly. “This way you can always remember.”

Ben and Reaver joined up with us soon after and Logan shared what he knew.

“Some claim they've heard rumors of a creature terrorizing towns to the north, though none of the stories agree with each other. Industrial may have more information for us.”

“So we do this again in Industrial?” I asked, not too thrilled about sitting around all day while everyone else was out doing something useful. Had it been Bowerstone Market, I'd have had no problem. “I don't like that idea.”

“Too bad.”


	6. Ghost Of A Rose

Industrial. The one place in all of Albion that I didn't know.

“Well, I'm going to see if Page knows anything,” Ben stated, though I had a feeling he'd just annoy her the entire time.

“And I have some business to attend to,” Reaver said in that mysterious voice of his.

Before anyone else had a chance to take off, Barry turned to Logan and smiled. “Your turn to babysit.” He followed Reaver before Logan had a chance to protest.

“If this was anywhere but Industrial, I'd tell you to go ahead leave me on my own,” I said, feeling sorry for him for getting stuck here. “I have no idea how to get anywhere here, except for the bar here. I think it's called the Riveter's Rest. Maybe we could start there? Someone there may know something.”

“How is it that the only place you know is in the middle of Industrial, yet you do not know your way around the rest of it?”

“When I'm there I at least know where I am,” I said, looking around. “Everywhere else just looks the same to me. This is the only place in Albion where I always get lost. So are we gonna ask around or what?”

 

In no time we'd made our way to the location I'd suggested. Deciding that we could find out more if we each talked to different people, we split up, still keeping each other in sight. He was the one stuck keeping an eye on me after all.

In the far back corner, I saw a boy just a couple years older than me trying to play a song. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to get it right. Normally I'd have paid no attention, but that look on his face was too much like mine whenever I tried to do something I desperately wanted to and failed repeatedly. Something about it made me want to help, though playing a song was something I knew next to nothing about.

I had to help. I walked over to him and placed my hand on his shoulder. “Don't get discouraged just because you didn't get it right.”

“What do you know about music?” he grumbled. “Let's see you do it if you think it's that easy.”

“Try this,” I told him, playing a few notes I remembered from a song I used to sing when I was alone. “Music must come from your heart. You can't force it: You have to  _feel_  it. Play this a few times until you start to feel it and let your heart take over.”

He didn't seem to believe me, but did it anyway. Soon he started to turn the few notes into a song from the heart. It was just a simple song with no words.

The song reminded me so much of another from home that I felt like singing. Normally I wouldn't but I figured no one would hear me.

So, I sang to myself and lost the world around me.

_The valley green was so serene_

_In the middle ran a stream so blue_

_A maiden fair in despair_

_Once had met her true love there_

_And she told him_

_She would say_

_Promise me, when you see_

_A white rose_

_You'll think of me_

_I love you so_

_Never let go_

_I will be_

_Your ghost of a rose_

_Her eyes believed in mysteries_

_She would lay amongst the leaves of amber_

_Her spirit wild_

_Heart of a child_

_Yet gentle still and quiet and mild_

_And he loved her_

_When she would say_

_Promise me, when you see_

_A white rose_

_You'll think of me_

_I love you so_

_Never let go_

_I will be_

_Your ghost of a rose_

_When all was done she turned to run_

_Dancing to the setting sun_

_As he watched her_

_And evermore he thought he saw_

_A glimpse of her upon the moors forever_

_He'd hear her say_

_Promise me, when you see_

_A white rose_

_You'll think of me_

_I love you so_

_Never let go_

_I will be_

_Your ghost of a rose_

I was startled by the sound of some people cheering as I stopped singing. Looking around, I saw many faces in the room looking at me, including Logan's. Had I thought anyone could hear me, I'd have stopped in a second.

For a moment, I allowed myself to look at the former king. On his face was something I'd never really seen on him, a smile. It was more of a half smile, but it was there. It lingered only a few seconds before going back to it's normal, serious self.

“That was brilliant,” the boy said to me, bringing my attention back to him.

“Thank you, um...” It hadn't occurred to me to ask him his name.

“Victor. My name's Victor,” he said, still a bit excited at what had happened. “Do you know any other songs? Oh and could you help my friend Violet too?” Victor seemed to have a million questions.

“Kate has a few other things to attend to,” Logan's voice said beside me. “Maybe another time.” He signaled for me to follow him. I did as I was told and mentally prepared myself to be lectured. He was well known back home for being so serious and disapproving of any act like what I'd done, even if I didn't realize I was doing it.

However, no lecture came. “I may have found someone who knows about this creature Theresa spoke to us about. We're to meet him under the bridge in Bowerstone tomorrow at noon. Any idea where to find everyone?”

“I don't know about Reaver and Barry,” I admitted. “But I have a very good idea where Ben is.”

“Lead the way.”


	7. Rebel Headquarters

Coming here was a pretty big risk. Bringing the former king of Albion with me? Potentially suicidal.

“Before we go any farther, I have to tell you a few things.”

“Go on.”

“I don't know how people will react to us coming here. This was, well,  _is_  the rebel headquarters. Page still comes and goes through here, but I don't know much else. We must not fight unless it's absolutely necessary.” Just thinking about what could very likely happen gave me chills.

We continued on until a man's voice shouted at us. “Don't move!”

I stopped immediately. “I'm looking for a friend of mine. He said he'd be coming here.” Whatever happened, I had to keep myself calm and keep all focus on me to prevent them from recognizing or harming Logan. This was one task that was the definition of the phrase  _easier said than done_.

“I don't-” the strange man stopped and it wasn't hard to guess why. He'd recognized my companion. His gun being raised made it obvious that his opinion of us had very quickly changed. Not in a good way either. “You aren't welcome here.”

“Kate?” The three of us were distracted by Ben's voice. Of all of us, no one could have been more relieved than me.

“Lucky you showed up,” I said, forcing a cheerful tone. “I was looking for you. We got a lead.”

“And so do I.” When I gave him a confused look, he explained further. “Page. She's heard rumors of something terrorizing the area near Millfields.”

“So far anyone who's confronted it hasn't returned,” Page said as she joined us. “Not without being completely insane anyway. It hasn't openly attacked anything though.”

“Why does this sound familiar?” I mumbled.

“You seem to know more about our world than we do, so do you know anything?” Ben asked. I couldn't tell if he was being serious or sarcastic.

“ _Our_ world?”

“Let's just say I'm not from around here,” I said, trying to keep us on track. “And you know I don't know anything about this thing other than it sounds a lot like the Crawler.”

“Well, if you find this thing, good luck.” Page left without another word. Apparently we knew everything she did.

“So now to find Reaver and meet up with the guy at the bridge.” As I thought about it I realized there was one issue with the situation. “Maybe we should split up. There's no guarantee that we'll find Reaver and Barry and meet him on time. So one of us should go find them while the other two will go find out if there's any useful information we can get about Creeper.”

“Creeper?”

Without even realizing it, I'd called the thing by a name. “It just feels right. I have a feeling that it's related to the Crawler.”

“Hm, Creeper and Crawler. Sounds like a set of twins,” Ben laughed. It was a joke, but it may have been a lot closer to the truth than any of us realized.

“Twins....” I mumbled to myself. I soon pushed the thought aside and brought myself back to the current problem. “So, who's going to find Reaver?”


End file.
